Burroughs MOD I Guidance Computer

Display location: Museum blockhouse

The MOD I version of this computer was the first in a series of
computers built under contract by Burroughs Corporation as part of
the WS-107A-1 Atlas ICBM program.

The computer on display at the museum is one of only four MOD I
computers built by Burroughs Corporation. It was one of the earliest
exhibits to be placed on display at the museum arriving in May 1965.
The MOD I is one of the earliest transistorized computers built and
the very first entirely transistorized guidance computer built. The
guidance computers at the Cape were installed at the
Guided Missile Control Facility
with the radar system.

During the Mercury manned space program, the Burroughs computers, in
addition to serving the guidance needs, sent 1002 bits per second of
tracking data to the Mercury Control Center. There the data stream
was merged with Eastern Test Range tracking data and forwarded to
Goddard Space Flight Center for processing by their IBM 7094
computer complex.

A more complete historical summary of the Burroughs guidance
computers with a focus on the museum's MOD I is available for
download and viewing in Adobe PDF form. This document is large and, depending upon your internet connection
speed, may take significant time to download for viewing.